It seems to me that this thread really
needs to be on valium until this fight
either happens or is cancelled..

here's why:

Bob Arum has totally changed the nature
of what this thread would have been like a
few weeks ago. He has done that
by floating some purse figures
which are utterly unprecedeneted
for either womens boxing or kickboxing.
I can't and won't predict whether this fights
ever takes place or not. (i hope it does)

But, I do know that for this fight to succeesd
financially, there absolutley M.U.S.T. be
a very high profile mens fight in
to bring in the PPV and ticket sales.
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Stefan wrote:

Lucia has been chasing after fighters like Martin for years.


===============================================================================partially true, but mostly not true. Its certainly true she has chased martin for
years; but, its equally ture that Lucia has also consistently ducked all the rest of the Women in Martin's skill range. In fact, she announced in 1999, (after Martin seemed to flatly role thei fight out), that she was going to fight a man. (Michael Carbajal) becasue, she alleged, "no women would fight her".

Now, That was a preposterous prevarication to put it kindly. She broke three contracts with denise Moraetes ( I actually one of the contracts myself, that Denise's husband, Tom Moraetes (who also trained Vernon Forrest)shwed me. She was also challenged by another world champion, Kathy Collins, Britains' jane Couch undeated Fredia Gibbs, and also marischa Sjaumw another Dutch Surinam world champion.

BTW, This coed fight PR spectacle with michael carbajal caused a lot of resentment among other women fighters as mainstream boxing writers begin to ridicule and mock womens boxing as a burlesque-partially because of this coed fight publicity stunt.

Just a 18 months or so ago, Rijker's manager called Marshell Davis, my friend Trisha Hill's manager at the time literally begging for a fight. Trisha was 8 pounds lighter, meanwhile Lucia was still routinely refusing the top names in her weight class. She either wanted martin or someone much smaller and less expereinced.
==============================================================================

She now is getting closer to the end of her fighting career.

=============================================================================
true _
===============================================================================
Million Dollar Baby put her on the map with non boxing fans now.
===============================================================================I respectfully disagree. Even most boxing fans still dont know who she is. (womens boxing fans are another story) But, fans of womens boxing and kickboxing they knew her long before the movie,and we can see there are not nearly enough of them to support the kind of purses LR wants.

btw, How many actors or actresses who played villains in academy award winnig movies do any of you remember by name? very few, I wager. Lucia Rijker is
still not a household name despite MBB. thats unfortunate for her but neverthless it is true.
===============================================================================

This was all by her own hard work and merrit. Lucia fought for all she has accomplished.

===============================================================================Yes, indeed; absolutely!!!whatever she has accomplished was by her hard work, and she's a very gifted lady.None can take that from her-nor should they want to.
=============================================================================


Being challanged by a girl like Anani for the last two years is very ironic.

===============================================================================
Stefan, could you please explain what exactly you mean by the phrase "a girl like Anani " ???
===============================================================================

Maybe Anani will be in Lucia's shoes sometime when she makes it big.

=============================================================================
She already has a betr boxing record and is rated higher in the womens boxing computer rankings. she has fought much better opposition consistently and has more total boxing experience than rijker. so, imho, skill wise, she has bigger *shoes* than LR. As a kickboxer,, Lucia has a amazing recoird. And her Boxing record also quite good-bit ut certainly is not peerless as some here suggest.

as for the rest of your comment alluding to Lucia "making it big"
i can only suggest we wait and see if Lucia actually makes the million dollar purse. Now, that may well happen, and I hope so, for her sake. she worked hard and if she gets it, good for her. But, I can say to a near certainly that it wont raise purses for other women fighters.

For example, Laila Ali's big 6 figure purses haven't raised the purses of other women over the 200 dollars per round standard. And Laila Ai is a far bigger celeb-name than LR. MDB notwithstanding. Go to your local sports bar and do your own name recogntion poll ir f you doubt that.

so no, Lucia will not raise purses for other fighters substantially-maybe not at all. Laila Ali certainly hasnt and she is much better know than Rijker.
===============================================================================

Of course it's good for Anani's career if she gets to fight Lucia who is the biggest name for her right now.

===============================================================================
Ironically, Its good for her career-if she loses to Riker. Because if she should lose, Then people may not be as afraid to fight her as they are right now. Sumya can not get a fight today-even with rijker. LOL!

BTW, None of rijker's opponents have made money fighting her-and neither has rijker. so how in the world does this fight help anani financially?????
Answer: It doesnt. It only helps her as a fighter to build her skills, gain valuable ring experience, and a chance to achieve personal satisfaction as a fighter-but not financially. For goodnees sakes shes offering to fight rijker for free with her purse (whatever it would be) going to the katie dallam fund. So no, Sumya fights for the love of the game. She marches to a different drum. I know her. With respect, I dont think you do.
===============================================================================

Win or lose, it's a win win for Anani. The same reason people wanted to fight Tyson back in the day to get one (more) big paycheck

===============================================================================
No. See above. Guys wanted to fight Tyson because they knew he drew big bucks and paid his opponents well. That's never been true for Rijker's opponents.or christy martin's opponents either.

And that is true Because the average boxing fan knows little
or nothing about Christy Martin and even less about Lucia Rijker.

So Bob Arum faces this problem: He has to pay
the high profile men fighters a premium. Then,
how is he gonna pay another
premium to 2 women fighters who could never justify
their purse, (In the market place)
on their own.

Its quite possible that this big money annoucement
is simply a trial balloon floated by Bob Arum to see if
there is enough public enthusiam among PAYING
boxing fans, to justify paying
these two women that kind of money-when neither
has made made over 15 k in their lives.
Keep in mind Christy martin and Mia St
John sold 500 tickets for their fight in the
pontiac dome-a collossal flop and $$$ disaster
for the promoter-who has not paid either
Mia or martin their agreed upon purse.

Why did he stiff them? they were a flop at the gate
and he doesnt have the $$$ He's being sued.
But they May as well sue a homeless man. he hasnt got the money.

Its was a huge miscalulation by the promoter.
And, I guarantee you Bob Arum wont make that mistake.
Thats why I believe this huge unprecedeeted
purse is a trial balloon. It may indeed spark enormous
interest and give reasonable expectations to Mr Arum
that he will make enough to justify the unheard of women's purse
being bandied about in the media.

However....The martin/rijker fight scheduled for May has already
been postponed to an indefinite tentative
date in July. That is not a great sign...
I am not saying it won't still happen, because Arum clearly
has the $$$ to pay them and he publically states that he will.
So, who can anyone dispute that?

But...he is no fool, and you got wonder how he can afford to pay that,
when he needs to fork out at least that much
for a mens bouts to draw the gate receipts.

It doesnt make sense, or dollars and cents.(at least not to me)


we shall see.


dan